Rugby Reports Saturday, 29th September 2018

PHOTOS:
Aberaeron score
Josh Hicks - involved as ever for The Wasps

Division Three (West) A:

Brave Wasps refuse to surrender

Llangwm 3 - Aberaeron 43

Aberaeron produced a very strong first-half performance at Pill Parks to take a 38-3 lead against a Llangwm side who found it hard to contain their potent mixture of a powerful pack and pacy backs but The Wasps showed their durability after half time as they conceded just one more score and might have claimed a couple of tries themselves but missed out through over-enthusiasm.

Leading the way for the home side, as always, was No 8 Josh Hicks, ably assisted by James Lewis and Yale Grice, whilst Ashley James made a welcome return to action as an influential second half replacement alongside Ieuan Power.

The Wasps actually opened the scoring with a penalty by Luke Hayman, who had 53 year old coach Bruce Evans as his first-half partner, but then the Aber scoring machine got warmed up and there were early tries from Tom Slinger, Dyfrig Dafys, Sion Evans, and Morgan Llewellyn, three of them converted well by Rhydian Jenkins.

Llangwm battled hard but second scores from Slinger and Dafys made sure that Aberaeron made the long trek home with a clear cut win despite The Wasps’ yeoman efforts.

PHOTO:Great Llangwm defence

Championship:

Otters outstanding in one-way second half

Narberth 57 - Bedlinog 28

Narberth made it five wins from as many matches as they quelled the fire of a powerful Bedlinog side who had previously lost just once and were very much in with a shout at the half way mark as they led by 21-19 before The Otters raised the tempo and rattled up another 38 points in a one-sided second period where their greater fitness levels really paid off and they were able to play the quality rugby sought by Sean Gale and his coaching staff.

In that tight first session Narberth claimed tries from No 8 Ritchie Rees, centre Kieron Jones and outside half Ianto Griffiths, who also converted two of the them – but Bedlinog showed why they were in fourth place with tries by flanker Regan Walton, Dan parry and winger Sam Farrer-Evans, all converted by No 10 Parry.

Parry also converted the visitors’ bonus-point try after the oranges by winger Rhys Hall but by then Narberth had grabbed another 24 points with an early Griffiths’ penalty and tries by replacement scrum half Lewys Gibby, flanker Tom Powell and Johnny Morgan, from a driving lineout maul joined by almost the whole team, all three converted by full back Nick Gale.

The Otters rounded off another good day when classy centre Jack Price crossed at the posts and Gale added the extra points before he rounded off a high-scoring tussle with the final try and another conversion.

PHOTO:
Lewys Gibby - good try for Narberth scrum half

PHOTO:
George Evans - another try for Neyland No 9

Division Three (West) A:

All Blacks resist Cardi pressure

Cardigan 20 - Neyland 25

Neyland remain top of the section table with this hard-fought victory over a durable Cardigan team which pushed them all the way before the All Blacks maintained their 100% start under coaches Graham Richards and Steve Evans.

Remarkably, only second row Mark James and Delme Bateman could claim veteran status amongst the All Blacks, with Patrick Bellerby the next oldest at 26, but this young side has learned to play with a maturity beyond their years, which they showed by fighting back from an early ten-point deficit as Cardigan skipper John Lumb and player/coach Colin Davies claimed unconverted tries.

But hooker Gavin Campbell reduced the deficit with an unconverted try before Iwan James landed a Cardigan penalty – and before the break quick handling by the young All Black backs saw Bateman cross in the corner to make the score 13-10 in the Teifisiders’ favour.

Neyland took the lead for the first time when good handling saw winger Henry Macbeth cross the whitewash before effervescent scrum half George Evans made sure of a bonus point as he dived over from close range for Patrick Bellerby to finally add a conversion.

Cardigan still had plenty of fight, however, as scrum half Llyr Jones scored a long-range interception try converted by half back partner Iwan James, to set up a tense finale but with Eugene Grice playing well up front and Alex Codd outstanding in the centre the All Blacks held their defensive nerve and Bellerby slotted a penalty to round off an entertaining game.

PHOTO:
Blues go on the charge against the Saints

Blues build well from a steady start

Haverfordwest 52 - St Davids 0

St Davids produced their usual battling performance at Merlins Bridge as they held Haverfordwest to a 19-0 interval lead but then The Blues’ greater strength in depth told afterwards as they ran in another 33 unanswered points to please coach Steve Barnett.

For The Saints there was the typical graft from skipper Rhys ‘Lossin’ Price and player/coach Ianto Davies alongside Gethin Bateman, Ben Evans. Noel Lyons and the rest of their pack but Haverfordwest scored three first-half tries by centre Gareth Owen, winger Liam Mainwaring and outside half Craig Barnett, who also kicked two conversions.

In an unrelenting display Haverfordwest added another five tries in the second half with a brace apiece from full back Rhys Baker and flanker Jack Clancy, whilst No 10 Barnett continued his points glut with his second try and another four conversions to claim a personal haul of 22 points and almost 70 points from his last three matches.

First bonus point for gritty Quins

Pembroke Dock Harlequins 24 - Llanybydder 48

The Quins maintained their 100% defeat record as they lost at Bierspool against a committed Llanybydder outfit but perhaps there was a light at the end of the tunnel for home coaches Ian Osbourne and Neil Machin because their side claimed its first bonus point of the season for scoring four excellent tries.

Indeed, the Quins were only 12-7 down towards the end of the first period before the visitors opened up a 28-14 interval lead, with The Quins’ tries coming from Rhys Bradney and second row Josh Whit both converted by Bradney.

Llyr Tobias opened the scoring for Llanybydder, followed by Dan Garside (2) and Steff Richards, who converted all four.

The Quins opened the second-half scoring when second row Ben Gibby crossed after a 40- metre charge but then Richards landed a penalty and converted a second try by Llyr Jones to keep the visitors in control, despite a fourth Quins’ try, this time by prop Dean Wilcox.

But Llanybydder finished the stronger as No 8 Bleddyn Jones claimed a try to go with the conversion and late penalty by ace kicker Richards that set the seal on a third win in four outings by the Mid Wales’ side.

PHOTO:
Josh White - helped Pem Dock Quins to a bonus point with a cracking try

Observatory match called off

Milford Haven P-P Laugharne

*This match was postponed by mutual agreement of the clubs

WRU National Plate First Round:

Seasiders good value for welcome first win

Carmarthen Athletic 15 - Tenby United 30

Tenby United claimed their first win of the campaign as they moved into the second round at the expense of Carmarthen Athletic, showing some good skills and determination which should hole them in good stead when they return to league action.

Lloyd Thomas kicked The Seasiders ahead with a penalty which was cancelled out by a similar effort from Athletic’s Karl Williams but then an outside break by the outstanding Jason Ronowitz saw winger Ashley Murdock speed through for a try which Thomas goaled.

Tenby went further ahead when Ronowitz was perfectly placed to round off some good handling by forwards and backs, going over in the corner for an unconverted try that put his side 15-3 ahead at the break.

With Aaron James, Jack Parkinson and Ben Pugh doing well at the back for The Seasiders, they added another try when good hassling up front by their back row saw prop Huw Evans pounce on a loose ball and power his way over.

A Tom Barrass yellow card set Tenby on the back foot for a short period but dynamic back rower Pat Roberts put Parkinson over for The Seasiders before Murdock scored his second try to make the game safe.

But late yellow cards for Jordan Asparassa and Yannick Parker put them back under some pressure which resulted in home tries by prop James Newnian put some respectability on the scoreline as Tenby were able to resist further pressure with some solid defence.

PHOTO:
Jason Ronowitz in previous action for Tenby United

Preseli Men power through as Colella catches the eye

Gowerton 23 - Crymych 31

Two tries by ubiquitous back rower Romeo Colella helped Crymych win against a Gowerton team which plays its rugby in the same section as The Preseli Men and are currently second in the table.

The platform for Randall Williams’ team undoubtedly was laid well in the first half, where Crymych deservedly led 25-10 thanks to the yeoman efforts up front by Gavin Walsh (on permit from Fishguard), Carwyn, Ryan and Llyw Rees, Matthew Freebury and skipper Rhys Davies. Colella’s try brace and another by centre Tomos Phillips, plus two conversions and two penalties by centre Ifan Phillips were the end product.

Gowerton’s try scorers were second row Richard Keeffe and scrum half Bleddyn James, with both conversions and three penalties by Paul Spowart – but The Preseli Men kept their discipline and two penalties by veteran replacement outside half Gareth Davies (on for Jake Jenkins) saw Crymych showing good value for victory.

PHOTO:
Tomos Phillips - another try for Crymych

Makeshift Scarlets pay the price

Pembroke 5 - Aberystwyth 50

Aberystwyth far too strong for a developmental squad where Pembroke coach Geraint Lewis used the absence of some key players to give a run-out to some of the other squad players but as expected Aber proved far too strong as they led 19-5 at half time but really turned on the second-half gas with another 31 unanswered points.

Dom Colman grabbed the sole Scarlets’ score but Aber scored eight tries, three of them by captain Arwel Lloyd alongside others by Gruff Jones, Matthew Light (2), Matthew Hughes and Steffan Bonsall, five of them converted by Steffan Rees.

For The Scarlets, there was no shortage of effort from the likes of Cyle Weatherall, Gareth Miller and Alex Thomas up front, with Dan Colley leading the team by example – but Aber made the long journey back home with entry into the second round draw.

PHOTO:
Dom Colman - scored Pembroke's only try

Young Borderers’ team bow out

Gorseinon 26 - Whitland 18

Whitland bowed out of the Plate competition at the very first hurdle but coach Gareth Bennett gave the chance of gaining experience to a squad which included 12 players who came out of youth rugby over the past two seasons.

The Borderers were good value for a 13-5 lead at half time as skipper Marc Jones, Courtney Bowman and Gino Setaro caught the eye – and with tries during a hard-fought clash by winger Llyr Ebsworth and Bowman alongside a Nico Setaro conversion and two penalties.

But Gorseinon, who are third in the same league, just ahead of Whitland, used their greater experience to good effect to move into the second round.